92 Cherokee Laredo Vs 96 Explorer XLT

[96]

Well Folks, Do you guys think I did the right thing? I recently sold my 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. My Jeep had 238K miles on the original 4.0 High Output motor and when I sold it it ran like a top, no issues. I sold her to buy my current truck, 1996 Ford Explorer XLT. My Explorer needed 2 Heads as both were cracked , my mechanic also replaced the head gasket and put in a new waterpump all at the same time. He said I should be ok for a while . Its running very well. Here is my question, do you guys think I made the right decision selling my cherokee and buying the Explorer, I obviously invested some money in the Explorer . Do you think I did the right thing? The Explorer seems like a much heavier vehicle than my Cherokee. What do you guys think? My explorer has 138k miles on it and its clean as a whistle. Thanks for your input.

 

[Joe Dirt]

Yes.













Seriously- the Jeep 4.0L is stout. But at 238k, it was going to start nickle-and-diming you. The Ex sounds nice, and after the repairs sounds like it's got some life good left, at least what you had on your Jeep to go.

What engine do you have?

 

[Runnin'OnEmpty]

Cherokees are tough and will run a long time; the engines and
transmissions are bulletproof.

But it's gone now, so time to move on......

If your XLT is that clean, then I'd say you made the
right move.

 

[96]

Mine is the 4.0, 6 cyl. I agree I have to move on, just wanted your opinions if I made the right decision. I think the Explorer shouldnt have any problem hitting 238k miles like my jeep cherokee- especially now that I had the two heads replaced, head gasket,watr pump and the transmission was repaired as my mechanic noticed it was leaking when it was n his shop. He told me he repaired the pan and refilled the transmission fluid, no leaks on the transmission fluid no and it shifts fine. the only minor thing i have to do now is call dent wizards as it appears someone backed up into the rear drivers side door slightly denting it. i noticed it when i bought it but now that the nice weather is finally on the way, i hope to have them come out and fix it for me. other than that, cosmetically the rest of the truck is ok and the paint is pretty good on it. i appreciate your comments

 

[n2epv]

Last fall I went from a 1993 Cherokee Loredo to a 1997 Mounty as my daily driver - no regrets here! I believe the Mounty is about 1000 lb heavier, but doesn't use any more gas (granted neither is very good on MPG's).

I don't know how much rust happens where you live, but the road salt was eating the uni-body on my Jeep and creating a safety problem - the Mounty isn't rust free underneath either, but has a real frame. Plus the 'new' Mounty has a much quieter and smother ride as well.

 

[96]

I will admit my 1996 Explorer is much heavier than my 1992 Jeep Cherokee Laredo. The ride is much smoother and its more comfortable than the Cherokee as well. Overall the Explorer seems really solid. Whats the differnce between the Jeep 4.0 and my explorer 4.0?
Is the Explorers 4.0 a better quality motor and could I expect this motor to hit another 100k miles?
Thanks for your input and opinons

 

[sport97]

There are people with over 250k and over 300k on here with the OHV motor, i may have even read about one that had over 400k. You should have no issues as long as you don't let it overheat. The heads do not like to get too hot or they crack as your old ones did. Other than that they are a solid motor. My cousin is closing in on 200k and he just changed his oil after going 17k miles without a change, needless to say i would not advise doing that, but his survived just fine.

 

[96]

Thats awsome. My mechanic also changed the thermostat as well when it was in the shop so hopefully it wont run hot. So glad to hear that this 4.0 motor is built to last.
Thanks so much for your insight and opinions.
It is really appreciated.

 

[chezoom]

we have a 2001 grand cherokee with the same 4.0 sucker blew at 150,000. we are good about maintince.it now has 170,000

 

[Tshark299]

I have both a Cherokee and an Explorer... both are 4.0s with 5-speeds. The Cherokee with the 4.0 High-Output is a rocket ship compared to my 4.0 OHV Explorer, even with slightly taller gears. The Cherokee is like 800 lbs. lighter with 30 more horsepower.

My Explorer is a first-gen with 175K on it, but to me it feels much more solid than the Cherokee does. The extra weight has alot to do with that I think. I've used both off-road and the Cherokee feels much more confident there with the extra power, stiffer suspension, and much better ground clearance, but the Explorer is definitely more comfortable day-to-day on the highway. The on-road ride of my Cherokee is downright ROUGH compared to that of the Explorer.

At a quick glance, the Cherokee doesn't look that much smaller than a 1st or 2nd-gen Explorer on the outside, but it's very noticeable on the inside. The Explorer's rear seat leg room and cargo area are huge compared to those of the Cherokee.

 

[96]

Yeah, i did notice that the Cherokee was a little quicker, probably because it weighs a lot less. Your right, the Explorer has a lot more leg room and cargo space than my Cherokee had. I would say its about a foot longer than the Cherokee was.
I like the fact my shifter is on the column too. Im really glad you guys are chiming in and educating me on my choice. Dont get me wrong, I loved my cherokee but i feel I did make a good choice on the explorer. Now i have to find someone in NJ to fix this annoyinig dent on my drivers side rear door. It has a little indentation as it appears someone backed into it slightly (Previous owner). Ill most likelt call dent wizards for this minor blemish.

 

[iwannabamedic]

yes you did the right thing,
the wife or boss has a grand cherokee, it is nice but not for me, i like the feel of the explorer, now she wanting my ex. good luck

 

[amace013]

i had a cheroeke and crashed it and now have an 01 4.0 ex xport i miss my cherokee alot but i have my good parts and bad on both. i cant compare them there both greath though.

 

[backfrmcolorado]

hell ya... ya did the right thing. my friends 96 exploder with almost 298,000 miles out drove his brother cherokee 98,000 mile jeep anyday. always seemed to pull the cherokee out of sticky spots too, 96 stock explorer vs. brothers 3 in lift jeep.hell sum people might get mad but on the back of my exploder i had a decal made that reads " it's not that i dont understand yur jeep thing... but rather i dont give a ######" and "Jeep Recovery Vehicle"

 

[96]

298 K miles ? WOW!!!!! Thats awsome.

 

[backfrmcolorado]

still going strong too. dosent burn oil and the only thing that was ever done to the engine was just new valve cover gaskets and a waterpump. was always family owned from new with regular maintence but if you keep up on yours im sure it will last just as long. i had a guy i was talking to on the forum bout driving to colorado- micihgan and he drove his '98 x from utah to mississippi (1600 Miles) with 300,000. im sure you will be good.

 

[96]

Thats sounds great.